The Pilot Research Projects Program (PRPP) is a strategic and high-impact initiative of the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center (NC OSHERC). Its mission is to (1) cultivate research on current and emerging occupational health and safety (OHS) science and worker health and safety issues and (2) engage junior and experienced investigators new to OHS to develop or extend their programs of research, with a special emphasis on researchers from underrepresented and minority (URM) groups. The pilot projects may be new or creative characterization studies, those that are testing out a new method or approach to build scientific knowledge in OHS sciences or those that are designed as research translation projects (i.e., research to practice), to build capacity for OHS sciences in the workforce, or to engage businesses and the workforce to improve worker health and well-being. In all cases, the project will address an important area of research in OHS in one of the NORA sectors or related to Total Worker Health. It is expected that pilot projects will generate preliminary data that will lead to new larger-scale funded grant proposals, (i.e., federal, state, philanthropic foundation, or other non-governmental funding sources) that build capacity for OHS in the workforce, disseminate findings through scientific publications, and ensure the health and safety of all workers.
Deadline: May 9, 2025
The NC OSHERC PPRT program accepts application for ~$10,000 inclusive of all costs (direct and indirect cost), though funding could be up to $20,000 for one individual project. Indirect costs are limited to 8% and must be included within the total award for the pilot project. Funding for NC OSHERC pilot grants is made possible by support from NIOSH: T42-OH008673.